Missing in Egypt

by Rita Lee Chapman

  We ate at a little restaurant Yasmeen knew where we wouldn’t bump into any of her tour party. She was as exciting to be with as I had imagined. I learned that she was born in Egypt and her family lived in Cairo, having come originally from Luxor. She had been educated in Cairo and now lived in an apartment there which enabled her to take the tourist parties from Cairo to Abu Simbel. Sometimes the trips were just day trips, flying from Cairo to Abu Simbel and then back the same day. Mostly though, after Abu Simbel they flew back to Aswan and took a boat from there to Cairo via Luxor, visiting the Luxor and Karnak Temples and the Valley of the Kings before flying back to Cairo from Luxor. On this particular trip another guide was to take this group back and Yasmeen was to have the day off in Abu Simbel before picking up another group that night which was taking a boat back to Aswan.

  The evening went well and Yasmeen seemed interested in me too. I told her of my life story to date – it didn’t take very long. All too soon the meal was over and I walked her back to her accommodation. She let me kiss her and it was like no other kiss I had ever experienced. I hoped it was the same for her. I asked if she had plans for her day off and she replied softly “yes, I have a very special one-on-one tour in mind”.

  I picked her up at 10 and we made our way down to the River. Yasmeen had a basket with her and I could see it was packed with food. She knew someone who had a felucca and he sailed us a little way down the Nile. The breeze was gentle and it felt as if we were just floating along. After about an hour our guide pulled up to a big flat rock and we clambered onto it. There was a small tree to give us some shade and with a wave our guide left us to our picnic. “Pick us up in about 2 hours’ Yasmeen called out to him.

  We smiled at each other like two children who had just wagged school! Yasmeen pulled a tablecloth from her basket and a bottle of wine from a coola bag. I pulled the cork and we sipped our drinks with the water lapping gently around us. Our own oasis! For a moment I was tempted to have a dip in the water, but then I remembered the warnings about swimming in the Nile. It is said that although the local children often swim in the water for those not brought up swimming in the Nile it can result in some very nasty illnesses, even death. It was probably cleaner this far up but I decided not to take the chance. Besides I hadn’t brought my swimmers! We talked as we ate; it was so easy being with Yasmeen. She flirted gently with me as she told me stories of her family and her plans for the future. She did not want to be a tour guide for the rest of her life. Her family owned an antique shop and Yasmeen had soaked up antiques and artefacts all her life. She longed to be working in the shop but her father and two brothers were running it and it could not support her as well. She believed she had a gift, she told me, of picking rare and valuable objects, which her father encouraged but he did not understand her passion or flair. “It sounds a bit big-headed, doesn’t it?” she asked me, staring up at me from under her long eyelashes. “Not at all” I replied, as I reached for her and pulled her closer to me. I kissed her soft lips and she responded. After a few minutes we pulled apart. “We had better eat some of this feast, I think, Yasmeen, before I get too carried away”. We finished our meal in silence, drank down the last of the wine and sunned ourselves on the big flat rock, watching the water sparkling in the sunlight. It was a perfect picnic, but all too soon our felucca was back to pick us up.

  As we sailed back up the river I watched Yasmeen as she sat with her eyes closed against the sun, enjoying the breeze. “She is so beautiful” I thought. “She is the woman I want to spend the rest of my life with – and I have only known her for a few hours”. When I asked her to come back to my hotel she looked straight into my eyes for a moment, then dropped her gaze and took my hand. Together we walked back to the hotel. When I took her in my arms it was as if we were made for each other, our bodies belonged together and we spent the rest of the day in a blur of passion and intimacy.

  The evening came all too soon and I walked Yasmeen to her boat where she was to pick up her next tour group. The thought of being separated from her so soon was more than I could bear so I had determined to catch a boat down to Aswan to be with her overnight. I couldn’t get a berth on the same boat but I was lucky enough to get one on a boat leaving an hour later. Yasmeen had been able to book me on to her boat from Aswan to Luxor. The trip to Aswan seemed to take forever as we were always trailing Yasmeen’s boat – at the temple stops I could see her boat pulling out as we pulled in.

  The trip itself was interesting, even if the time inbetween sightseeing dragged a bit. The Kasr Ibrim, and the temples at Amada dedicated to Amun-Re and Re-Harrakte were well worth seeing. I learned that the Roman Temple of Kalabsha was originally built in Nubia and, although it was never finished, it was moved some 50 kilometres in 1970 when the Aswan Dam was built. It now stands 1 kilometre south of the High Dam, with a chapel and gate from it having been relocated to Elephantine Island. These things I would never have seen if I had kept to my original intention of flying directly back to Luxor.

  After three nights we arrived in Aswan. We were taken in horse-drawn carriages for a tour of the city. I was appalled at the condition of most of the horses – so thin I wondered how they could do their work. I was tempted to refuse the trip but then I thought that the more money the drivers made the more chance there was of their horse being fed. There were shops all along where the boats tied up so there was lots of colour and activity. Unfortunately it was impossible to shop because the stallholders wouldn’t leave you in peace to browse and were calling out to you as soon as you drew near. The dam itself was huge and quite amazing to see. We went across it in a bus and could see it was closely guarded. We pulled up in a purpose-built carpark and were able to walk and peer over the top on the huge body of water below.

  Eventually I joined Yasmeen on the boat on the other side of the dam as she was seeing her group into their cabins. She winked at me as I squeezed past her to go to my own cabin and my heart raced. That afternoon they were booked to go on feluccas around the Botanical Gardens and I joined Yasmeen on hers. It was a beautiful sight – the white sails of the feluccas fluttering between the bright blue sky and the blue of the water. I was so pleased to be reunited with Yasmeen and I felt sure by the glances she gave me that she felt the same way too. That night I crept into her cabin and by the way she came to me I was sure of it.

  The next few days were some of the best in my life. The days were filled with sightseeing and the nights with passion and love. The warm, balmy evenings spent on the deck of the boat were relaxing and peaceful. Yasmeen treated me the same as any of her tour group, managing to spend a few minutes with me here and there as she circulated amongst them. I am sure many in the group had cottoned on to our relationship by the looks we exchanged but she was very professional and never allowed her feelings towards me to show during the days – although it was very different through the nights.

  The first day we took a motorboat to the Temple of Philae, dedicated to the Goddess Isis, which was relocated in 1960 and landscaped so that it appears similar to the time when it was built. Later in the day we visited the temple of Kom Ombo, which is really two temples, one dedicated to Horus (the falcon-headed god) and one to Sobek (the crocodile-headed god). Dinner on board that night was an Egyptian style dinner and Galabea Party and most of the guests dressed up in Egyptian-style clothes they had bought at the onboard shop. Yasmeen was resplendent in a white dress, with a gold sash whilst I spent most of the night holding on to my improvised outfit fashioned from one of my sheets. I wasn’t the only one to be wearing a sheet but I seemed to be having more trouble than most in keeping it together! Eventually Yasmeen came to my rescue, tying her own sash around my middle. This freed up my hands for some dancing and I managed three dances with Yasmeen before she was whisked away by other guests.

  The next day we visited Edfu and marvelled at the two black granite falcons guarding the entrance of the Temple of Horus, the Falcon God. Yasmeen was a knowledgeable and interesting guide, giving her group
just enough information to whet their appetite without boring them. I pitied some of the tour groups around us – standing in the hot sun whilst their guides tried to impress them with their knowledge of Egyptian hieroglyphics and history. I was sure that most people who wanted in-depth information would either have read up on it before they left or would do so on their return. For the rest of us, a summarised version of what we had come to see was more than enough! Just being there, soaking up the atmosphere and seeing these sights with their own eyes was why people flocked to Egypt.

  On our last day we were driven to the Colossi of Memnon, two giant statues in the middle of nowhere. From here we went to see the mortuary temple of Queen Hatshepsut. Once again I was amazed at the size of the Temple, situated in the middle of the desert. How the Egyptians – my forbears – had managed to carve these amazing temples miles from anywhere in the unbearable heat was beyond my comprehension. From a distance the temple was very impressive, set into the rocks and being of a considerable size. I was disappointed therefore that there was actually very little to see once you arrived at the building, apart from the three levels of terraces. One of the chapels could be seen by looking through the gate but it was not possible to walk inside.

  However, the best was yet to come as we proceeded to the Valley of the Kings. In a valley of rock lay the tombs of the Kings, in splendid isolation and peace. To look at the Valley as we drove down into it you could not imagine there was anything of any significance amongst all these hills of rock, where nothing grew – not even the odd bush. However, as we drew closer we could make out tiny openings in amongst the rocks and as we followed the road down into the Valley we could see man’s thumbprint on the landscape. A modern entrance marked the beginning of the tourist area, where we bought tickets to view some of the tombs. The entrances to the open tombs were walled and clearly marked, in stark contrast to the rest of the wild hills.

  We were able to see 3 of the tombs during our time in the Valley. In the first one we went down many rough stairs into a large chamber and then down further to the burial chamber. Along the walls were brightly coloured hieroglyphics, still fresh and easy to see after so many years. The second tomb was very similar but the third was the one that really impressed me. We climbed up steep steps to reach it, crossed a cutting between two large hills and then descended even more steeply into the half light. Down and down we went on these roughly hewn steps. Beside them were the original steps used by those who made the tomb, mere imprints in the dirt. How they climbed them with heavy baskets full of broken pieces of rock I don’t know.

  Finally we came into a large chamber where every wall was filled with hieroglyphics. From there we descended yet again, the low roof giving the feeling of the tunnel closing in on you. The chambers at the bottom though were worth the effort. Two small chambers led into a much larger chamber in which lay the empty sarcophagus. Again, all the walls were covered in hieroglyphics. A further smaller chamber at the back still housed a “God box”. I was suddenly aware of Yasmeen studying me, watching my expression as I took in this mystical place – a place she saw regularly and had probably come to take for granted. I could see that on this occasion she was seeing it through my eyes, as a tourist experiencing it for the first time.

  As we ascended back into the brilliant sunshine I could only marvel at the work that had gone into making these tombs out of such inhospitable ground. I would love to have stayed to explore further, but our time was up and we all traipsed back to the bus for the return trip to Luxor and the Temple of Karnak. What a huge day! Karnak was also amazing. The Hypostle Hall, with its 70 feet high columns, is the largest temple in the world.

  From Karnak, Yasmeen was taking her group by plane back to Cairo to stay overnight and then finish their tour with a day’s sightseeing of the Pyramids and Sphinx. I flew back with the group and spent the night at Yasmeen’s apartment in Cairo. Whilst she was going around the Pyramids the next day, which I had already seen during my month in Cairo, I tried to sort out my feelings and my intentions. “Is it possible I could really love this woman, whom I have only just met?” The answer was an emphatic “Yes”. I had never felt this way before and was sure I wanted to spend the rest of my life with her. “So what now”? I asked myself. I realised the first thing I have to do is to find out if Yasmeen was as serious about our relationship as me. Then we have to decide where we are going to live, Egypt or Australia. Was I really ready to leave my lifestyle and family in Australia to start a new life in Egypt? Would I, speaking no Egyptian, be able to find an accounting job in Cairo? Are there any jobs with English speaking companies? Conversely, would Yasmeen consider leaving her job, family and country to live in Australia? Well, I figured her job was not such a problem as it was not really what she wanted to do. Her family? They were close, but lots of women leave their country when they marry. I realised there was only one way to find out.

  I went out in search of a good bottle of wine and some food with which I could make us a simple meal commensurate with my cooking skills and resolved that tonight I would bring up the matter of our future.

  It was late when Yasmeen returned and I could see she was tired. She was pleased not to have to cook and the bottle of wine was better than I expected. After we had washed the dishes I asked her to sit down. “Yasmeen” I began “I think you know how I feel about you – how much I love you. I cannot imagine a future without you in it. I really need to know if you feel the same way about me”. Without hesitating, Yasmeen replied “Yes, Ramy, it is the same for me. I love you too and I want to spend the rest of my life with you”. I was so relieved and excited I drew her into my arms and kissed her fervently. When we pulled apart I asked her where she thought our future lay. “My future is with you Ramy” she answered. “I am happy to live with you in Australia if that is what you want”. By way of reply, I picked her up and carried her to her bed. My future was now decided!

  2. The Disagreement

  Yasmeen had wanted me to meet her family whilst we were in Cairo but unfortunately her parents had gone to the Bay of Dahab on the Red Sea for a week’s holiday, leaving the antique shop in the capable hands of her brothers. We decided to leave this meeting until I could meet the whole family together.

  The Valley of the Kings had captured my imagination and I wanted to explore more tombs and to walk amongst the hills where everyone knows there are still many undiscovered tombs. Yasmeen had a couple of days leave owing to her and we arranged to fly back up to Luxor on the week-end and stay overnight so we could have two full days exploring the area. We flew up Friday afternoon and booked into a hotel in Luxor, ready to set off for the Valley of the Kings the next morning. However the night before we left Cairo Yasmeen had received a phone call from a man in Luxor who said he dealt in special antiques and that he had something that would interest her father but that he had been unable to contact him. Yasmeen explained that he was away for a few days but that she was coming to Luxor the next day and would be happy to have a look at it. She had arranged to go to his stall at the markets the next morning. “You go up to the Valley” she said “and I’ll join you after I have been to the markets. “I don’t like you wandering around the markets on your own, I’ll come with you and then we’ll go on to the Valley.” “I prefer to conduct business on my own” she countered “besides I often go to the markets alone – don’t forget I take tour groups there, I am well-known”.

  My macho-side kicked in then – this was the woman I loved and wanted to protect. I certainly didn’t want her pushing me aside for a couple of hours. Before I knew it we were having our first argument. “This is stupid” I finally realised. I needed to go out and get some air and calm down. I brushed past Yasmeen and went out into the night air. I walked around Luxor for a while and cooled off, getting things back into perspective. When I went back Yasmeen flew into my arms and I apologised for being such a chauvinistic male. Of course she could go and conduct her business and I would see her later. She had lived and worked in Egypt all
her life – she knew better than me how to take care of herself.

  However the next day Yasmeen had relented. “Okay,” she said, “We’ll go to the markets together and you can wander around whilst I go and meet with this Abdul”. We headed off and soon we were amongst the bustle and thrust of the hawkers. Most tried very hard to pull you into their stall, with promises of very cheap deals – grabbing you as you walked past and following you to the next trader offering better and better deals. There were many souvenirs of Egypt – wooden camels, statues of pyramids and of the Sphinx. There were also several jewellery stalls offering gold jewellery “at the best price in Egypt.” Many of the stalls sold Egyptian cotton T-shirts and there were leather goods in abundance. I would have liked to look at some of the items but the stall holders made it impossible. They were in your face, offering you anything your eyes happened to fall upon at a cheaper and cheaper price, so you didn’t have a chance to look around. In Yasmeen they recognised a fellow Egyptian and she stared straight ahead to where she was going, not looking to the left nor the right and they left her alone. In me, they obviously recognised an easy target.